By Rachel Stafler
ITALIAN DESIGNERS HAVE dominated
the world of fashion for decades. Gucci,
Fendi, Ferragamo, Armani—the list goes on
and on. Italian leather and fabrics are known
around the globe for their high quality, making them some of the most in-demand products in fashion.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Are Italy’s goods really that much better
than those from other places? Without a
doubt, say many fashion experts.

“In Italy, there is a centuries-old traditionof handcrafting, especially when it comes toleather,” says Karen Groner, professor of fash-ion and leather design at New York’s FashionInstitute of Technology (FIT) and ownerof leather-design company Grownbeans.“Small, family-run businesses are still therule rather than the exception, and artisanaltechniques are handed down from genera-tion to generation.”Although Italy already possessed a thriv-ing fashion industry, it wasn’t until after World

Italian quest for quality is a passion, part of
their culture and upbringing. Whatever they
do, they do with pride, and that is reflected in
their goods.” C

War II that Italian goods really
found their way to the American market.

“The Italians had a very clever strategy to
attract influential American buyers,” says
Gavin Waddell, author of How Fashion Works
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2004). “They held their
fashion shows around the same time as the
Paris shows, so once people were in the
region, they could easily visit. Their approach

The Italians come to work with
hundreds of years of craftsmanship
and talent for detail behind them. “ “ —Vasilios Christofilakos

Many have taken their expertise and adapted
it to fit today’s technology.

“The Italians come to work with hun-dreds of years of craftsmanship and talentfor detail behind them,” says Costco memberVasilios Christofilakos, chairman of theaccessories design department at FIT. “Thesedays, they have taken what they know bestand computerized their techniques. Theworked, and at the same time helped to boostthe entire Italian fashion industry.”To this day, the Italian leather and gar-ment industry is dominated by small busi-nesses. Their size—and their limitedmanufacturing runs—helps ensure that theycan retain the samehigh standards anddrive for quality asearlier generations.But just because thesebusinesses are smalldoesn’t mean thatthey aren’t modern.

Rachel Stafler is a London-based freelancer.

The Costco Connection

This fall, Costco warehouses are hosting a Special Event that features
Italian-made cashmere sweaters, along with one that features Italian
leather coats, belts, wallets and gloves. To see when the Special
Events will be at your warehouse, visit Costco.com, select “In the
Warehouse” and then select “Special Events” to search by region.

Fall’s ;nest Italian fashion

The Luigi Baldo Special Event will offer high-end Italian knitwear in cashmere, cashmere blends and
extra-;ne wool fabrics, as well as Super 130’s dress pants. All items are manufactured in Italy, and
represent couture fashion with European ;air and detail for both men and women.

For additional items and Special Event locations near you, go to
Costco.com and search “Cashmere.”